Perspective
by Clara de Morra
Summary: Out of love, or out of selfishness. The only difference is perspective.
1. Valus

_**Valus**_

This land is beautiful. It is beautiful, and peaceful, and quiet. There is no one to bother me here. Birds perch themselves upon my shoulders. They seem so small in comparison. My footsteps fall heavily, and the earth cracks beneath my hooves. It can be so tiresome. Being so large and so slow. But I know that I am not the biggest. There are far bigger than me in this land.

The sun warms the fur and the stone alike. I heave a great sigh.

I take another step.

My grip upon my club tightens. I think I hear something.

There! There it is again!

A sharp whistle. It hurts my ears. It is too shrill.

I turn. I slowly look behind me.

I feel a prick in my shoulder. A small creature has pierced me with something very sharp! It looks no bigger than a splinter. But it is firmly embedded in my flesh. I must search hard. I see a small… being. I do not know what it is. I have never seen anything like it. It is small, but walks on two legs like me. It holds a… I am not sure what, in its hands.

It holds the contraption. It points it in my direction.

The first prick was not an accident.

It pricks my other shoulder this time.

It is not friendly.

I look to the second splinter. I look up again. The small creature has vanished. I search for it. A shooting pain in my leg alerts me to the creature's location. I drop down. My knee hits the earth with a rumble. A pinch. The creature is climbing through my fur.

I feel it on my back. I thrash. I must get it off.

It persists.

I thrash again.

It holds on tighter.

A terrible feeling blooms within my chest and squeezes.

The creature is on my head now.

No.

A blinding pain.

A wretched hissing.

Everything is darkening.

No.

No.

_No._


	2. Quadratus

I hear something.

Something is outside my home.

Something loud.

I wish it would leave me to my sleep.

I shift.

The noise is much louder now.

I must stop it.

I rise to my hooves. I smash my head against the stone before me. It fractures and gives. It crumbles into pieces that I crush beneath my hooves. I see now what has woken me up. A small creature. And a smaller creature mounted atop it. It moves quickly. Almost too quickly for my eyes. If it wanted to flee, it could. I would not chase after it.

But instead it draws nearer. Near enough that I could crush it underfoot.

I feel a terrible weight within my chest.

This tiny creature has slain one of us. I know not who. But I can feel it.

There is one less of us in this land.

The thought infuriates me.

I raise my hooves in the air.

And I stomp.

The tiny creature falls from its place. The larger of the two bolts away. I stare down. I hope it can feel my anger.

It has no right to slay us.

_No right._

I raise my hooves to stomp again.

We have done _nothing_ to—

A pain shoots through my arm and I drop down. I see the creature run as quickly as it can to my bent arm. It takes fistfuls of the fur and begins to climb.

I stand despite the pain.

I must get it off.

It has slain one of us. And it intends to slay me.

I feel it on my back. I shake wildly.

I must get it off.

But it persists.

A sharp sting runs a course from the base of my spine to every part of my being.

And another.

And another.

I thrash violently.

I must get it off.

I feel it on my head.

A stabbing pain.

Another.

I must get it off.

Another.

My vision darkens.

And I fall.


	3. Gaius

My eyes open, and I feel something leap within my chest.

There is something here!

Something worthy!

_Finally!_

I push myself up from my resting place, and search the canopy for this thing that challenges me. It is so… _tiny_. Pah! It believes it can best me? I will show this tiny thing what strength lies before it!

I ready the earthen blade affixed to my arm, and bring it crashing down. The platform on which we stand shudders beneath my might. The tiny creature is flung many feet away, sprawled and trying to regain its footing.

Hah!

It will not last long.

How disappointing.

And to think, I believed it worthy.

Worthy to reach me, perhaps. But not to fight.

I mindlessly lift my blade again, and take aim before bringing it down. A ringing of metal sounds, and I feel a shock travel through the blade and to my arm. A section of my shamefully weaker armor breaks and falls to pieces to the platform, exposing a fraction of my arm to the wind.

If I strain my eyes, I can see it. The creature is fleeing from me, almost wildly. It has no sense of where it wishes to go.

I raise my blade again, and let it fall.

It smashes into the platform, and the tiny creature surprises me.

It leaps upon my blade, and as I pull backwards, it struggles to hold on. It pulls itself up, and runs along the flat surface of my blade before clinging desperately to the fur on my arm, not unlike a small and irritating parasite.

Then it begins to climb.

It is an annoyance, nothing more.

I will let it think it's won.

Only until it reaches the sigil.

It will be thrown from me like a—

A stabbing pain.

And another.

I fling my head back, but it holds fast.

Another.

I feel its grip loosen as it falls. It is no longer latched on—

Another stabbing pain, this time in my stomach.

_I WILL—_

_I WILL CRUSH THIS THING!_

_IT WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE ME FALL!_


	4. Phaedra

I rest peacefully in my meadow.

I say it is mine, but truly, it is ours.

I breathe deeply as tiny birds flutter around my ears, singing their songs. I wish I could join them, especially as they almost dance across our meadow, but I dare not for fear of hurting them.

A small one perches upon my snout, and I have to nearly cross my eyes to see it. It intentionally or not tickles my nose, and I have to keep myself from sneezing.

I wish I was not so big.

I wish I could run after them, and not shake the earth beneath me.

I wish I―

I see something.

Something small.

Not as small as the birds, not nearly so.

It… it is mounted upon something that looks like me!

I raise myself to my full height, and I am both joyed and saddened.

I wish I did not tower above them as I do.

But there is another like me! Much smaller, but vague resemblance is enough―

I… the smaller creature upon its back has let loose something, and it is a pinprick in my hide.

My heart sinks.

It is not a friend.

There is an unpleasant squeeze in my throat, and I aim a blow near the creatures. I wish not to harm the one like me, but I must defend myself.

The smaller creatures leaps from the back of the one like me, and turns to flee into a small cave. It disappears within it, and I cannot see far into the dark that resides there.

The one like me makes a sound like a cry, and runs in fright.

I wish I was not so big.

My frustration boils over, and I stomp on the roof of the cave.

I cannot hear anything within. Perhaps it fled.

But to leave its companion?

I stomp again. And again. And again.

I hear nothing.

My knees bend, almost of their own accord, and I peek inside. My eyes strain against the dark as I search for it, but to no avail. Where is it? Where did it go? Where―

Something is not right.

I feel something clinging to my short tail.

And climbing higher.

It runs across my back, and I feel a stabbing pain in my neck. I lower my head, the pain near unbearable. I would have never thought that something as small as this creature would cause such a pain!

I can feel it run the length of my neck to my head.

The stabbing pain returns, but much worse, and this time, in my head.

I scream and shake wildly, forcing it to either hold fast, or fall.

It chooses the former.

I feel another.

And another.

And another.

I hardly have the strength now to save myself.

I feel my legs shake beneath my own weight.

I feel so heavy.

Perhaps this is a dream.

I will wake up soon.

I know I―


	5. Avion

I grow tired of my captivity.

Not that I haven't tired of it before now.

It's just that today, I find it particularly tiring.

The lake is still.

The wind moves not.

I pierce the air with a loud crow.

It echoes across the glassy surface of the lake before being swallowed entirely by the ringing silence of my prison.

I crow again.

It lasts not nearly as long as the first; perhaps my heart was not in it.

Not that it would truly make a difference.

I straighten.

I… I hear something.

A faraway splash.

The surface of the water is disturbed by ripples my eyes almost cannot see.

I rise from my perch, and with a mighty beat of my wings I can airborne. I narrow my eyes to search for the disturbance, and a trail is left behind a slow swimmer's progress. A tiny creature, smaller than even the temple guardian I had seen once so very long again, it making its way across the vast lake. It shakily pulls itself up upon a small stone platform, and even from here, I can see that it is sopping wet. Why is it—

It is looking at me.

It is pointing something at me.

I do not like it.

A splinter ricochets from a poorly aimed shot, and is send spinning wildly off course.

With another beat of my wings, I rise into the air, and swoop down upon it.

If it is here to end me, then I must end it first. There is no other choice.

I misjudge the creature's position on the small surface, but what it does at the very last moment surprises me: it runs towards me and leaps, clinging hard to the vegetation entwined with stone. I fly as I've never flown before, shooting upwards, hoping the winds are too harsh for it.

Instead, I feel it climb behind my head. I feel no more splinters, poorly aimed or otherwise, but the thought does not comfort me.

I swerve sharply, and I feel the creature nearly lose its grip.

But it holds ever tighter.

I level out, the beating of my wings surely throwing it off its balance—

I feel it running down my plumage.

Does it—

I feel it grab a fistful of the vegetation, and the sting of a knife not long after. It stings twice more, and a mangled trill rips at my throat.

I twist and turn every which way.

This creature cannot—

I feel it running up my spine. I try to beat my wings to throw it off, but I am not fast enough.

It stings again, and my muscles stiffen almost entirely.

I swerve sharply again, and still, its grip holds.

I feel it run across my shoulders.

It clings, and stings once more.

I feel heavy.

I never wanted—


	6. Barba

There is something here.

I can hear it.

Its tiny footsteps echo loudly in my halls.

It should not be here.

I twitch; my ears pick up the sound of something rough scraping against the stone above. A sound I have not heard since I began residing here.

It is climbing down.

It should not be here.

A scuff echoes against the stone.

It is so close!

I stand, sending a tremor through the floor, and the wall before me sinking into the floor.

How _dare_ it?! How dare it invade my sanctuary! It will pay dearly for this trespass!

I see it, and it is a tiny thing. It stumbles as it flees before my hooves, falling over itself in its hurry. I see it leap and grab onto a decorative vase and clumsily scaling it before it goes up and over the edge.

Does it believe it can escape from me?

My hoof goes through the stone easily, and it crumbles and opens a path for me. Still the creature flees, and it does not look back. It climbs the next decoration and up, and it stumbles, nearly falling over the edge. I clench, raise, and bring down my fist, and the creature topples to one side as the stone not far from it breaks. Still it runs, and it nearly crashes into the last decorative ridge. It pulls itself up and over once more, and it stumbles again as it flees and vanishes into the alcoves at the furthest reaches of my arena.

I bring my fist down again, and kneel to find it.

It―!

It's jumped onto my beard!

And it's climbing!

I remain in a stunned, stiff silence for a moment too long; it's climbed and leapt to my shoulder. I thrash wildly, but it holds fast. I feel it climbing upwards, and I throw my head back. A barely audible noise comes from it, but still, it refuses to let go.

A burning pain ignites in my skull, and it only gets worse. I howl, throwing my head back again, and I feel it tumble to my shoulders.

How dare it?!

First it invades my sanctuary, now it means to kill me?!

No! It will not!

I thrash again, finally throwing it off. It is flung far, and when it hits the stone with a dull thud, it rolls no short ways. It lies still for many moments as I close in on it, raising my fist again, and it pushes itself up, scrambling to get out of the way.

It narrowly avoids being crushed, and it returns beneath the archways, its hand pressed tightly to its arm. I kneel again, my hand reaching out to grab it.

But it evades me and leaps onto my beard again!

Curse this tiny thing!

It climbs to my head again, and before I can throw it off, the burning pain returns. It tumbles down the back of my neck and to my shoulders again, and it pinches as it grabs at my fur, yanking at it with little regard.

It goes down to the middle of my back, and it stabs again, and again.

And then everything goes dark.


	7. Hydrus

A splash.

All that wakes me up is a splash, so far above me on the surface of my lake.

I push myself from my cave, the barbs upon my back flaring with the thunder that courses through my veins.

I slither up to see this thing that has come.

A tiny thing.

It should not have made a splash that loud.

It is clumsy as it swims, awkwardly struggling against the water that weighs it down.

I do not know why it is here.

A feeling of curiosity washes over me, so I rise to the surface.

Perhaps it fell in, and it is trying to reach the land again.

It is lifted onto my back, and it takes me only a moment too long to realize the mistake I've made.

It did not fall in by accident.

An agonizing pain burns behind a barb, and it goes numb. My jaw clenches tightly, the tiny thing racing further up my back. I slip below the surface, and the rushing waters wash over it, forcing it to either cling tightly or let go. It is only when I sink deeper that it lets go.

I can see it struggling to reach the surface, and I feel a pang of guilt, though I am unsure why.

Against all better judgment, I rise.

It is lifted onto my back again.

Perhaps I can get it to shore before it—

I should have known better.

Before I can slip beneath the surface, it strikes a third time.

I should have known better.

I feel its tiny feet pad along up the length of my spine, and it throws itself down.

A spike of pain is driven into my head, and everything burns.

I feel dizzy.

The lake is turning black.

My vision fades.

I sink.

I hope that the tiny creature is able to get out before it—


	8. Kuromori

I can hear something!

Yes, I hear something!

It is so close!

Is it here to save me?

Or mock me?

…no!

It is here for neither of those!

It is here to kill me!

I care not!

It knows not what it faces!

It will see only the shadow upon the wall, and then death will come for it!

My eyes dart around my prison, and—

…I see movement!

The poison wells in my throat, I draw my head back, and I spit. It explodes against the walls of my prison in a fine mist, and through the bars my eyes follow the small shadow that flees. It disappears beyond the wall, and not long after, I feel a sting in my leg.

Coward!

It will not face me directly!

I feel another sting. My heart seems to stop as my footing slips completely, and I am sent crashing upon my back to the ground below. Before I can even right myself, there is a quiet pattering of something light on the grass, and it feels as if something has landed upon my stomach.

A sharp spike drives into my belly!

And again!

I flail with a screech, the tiny thing refusing to let go, and only when I right myself does it flee.

The poison wells in my throat again, and there is no conceivable way it can escape that fast. I draw my head back, and spit. It is sent back into the narrow stairwells, coughing and stumbling over its own feet.

Hah!

It is not so brave when I am not belly-up for it!

My front feet stick to the walls as I begin my ascent, my eyes narrowed and darting for any signs of movement.

I spit once more, the poison exploding against the walls of my confinement, but I hear nothing else.

I climb higher, but only then I realize my mistake.

In quick succession I am stung twice, and I reach desperately to the stone as I fall, but to no avail. I crash to the ground again, struggling to right myself more quickly than the last time.

The same sharp spike!

I—

It—

_NO!_


	9. Basaran

Something here.

Something small.

I rise.

I move.

Tiny creature.

It runs.

Not far.

I stomp.

It falls.

It runs.

It calls.

It runs.

Faster.

With help.

I stomp.

Something hot.

Burning.

Pushing me.

Pain.

Clenching.

Hurts more.

More pain.

I fall.

Earth shakes.

Cannot move.

Try.

Creature climbing.

My shell.

Up again.

Cannot feel.

Where?

_There._

My head.

Pain.

Burning pain.

Scream.

Too quick.

More pain.

So much.

Hurts.

Pain.

Blackness.


	10. Dirge

I shift in my slumber.

Something is here.

An echoing above.

An endless noise.

Loud on stone, muted on sand.

It abruptly stops.

I can smell something.

Something… off.

I know not what it is, but it has come for me.

The stone rumbles as I slither forth.

I surface to see the encroaching creature.

It is a tiny thing, no larger than the tip of my tail.

Was it this tiny thing that I could smell?

I feel the bile rising in my throat.

It reeks of darkness and ash.

It urges the creature it rides into a run.

It wants me to chase it?

Very well then.

A chase it shall have.

I slither after it.

It winds around in tireless circles.

My head surfaces, my gaze locked tightly onto it.

A stinging agony forces my eyes shut, and I almost hear my skull crack as I hit the stone wall.

My mind is blank.

Something light is treading up my back.

It—!

A noise unfamiliar to me scratches at my throat when a sliver pierces my back.

It pierces again, and I scream myself hoarse.

I wriggle myself free and submerge beneath the waterless waves.

I circle the creature again.

A great spire of stone nearly collapses upon me as I scrape against it.

I have no choice.

I must see where—

Another stinging pain and my skull cracks against stone.

My already poor vision is blurred.

It climbs my back.

It pierces.

Again.

And—


	11. Celosia

My eyes snap open, and my nose wrinkles.

I smell something.

Something foreign.

_Foul_.

I want to rip whatever it is to shreds.

Toss it from the overlook.

A light scuffing against stone.

I stand.

And leap down.

I recoil.

It reeks of evil.

It's filthy with black blood.

It must die.

I charge.

It leaps out of the way, landing heavily on its belly.

It scrambles to its feet and slips behind a pillar.

Flee while you still can, monster!

Its foot scrapes the stone.

It's climbing!

I charge, ramming the pillar.

It falls off!

I snarl and charge again.

What is it—

No!

NO!

NO NO NO!

_GET AWAY!_

_GET AWAY FROM ME!_

_GET AWAY FROM—!_

_I'm falling!_

I feel broken!

Pain!

Blinding pain!

Run!

_Run!_

I need to run!

Get away!

_Get away from me!_

Stop!

Leave!

I must get back!

Back to my temple!

It's mine!

No!

I must protect the flame!

I must protect the flame!

_I must protect the flame!_


	12. Pelagia

A distant splash is what draws my attention for the first time in countless years.

It is too distant; too far away to seem to matter.

The splashing draws closer.

I exhale, a stream of bubbles pouring from my nose, hidden by thick stone.

I rise to see, the water cascading down my back, and a tiny thing stands almost defiant on a broken platform before it flees to hide itself behind a stone.

I shift, craning my neck to see around the obstruction.

Whatever this tiny thing is, it is here for some dark purpose.

The tiny thing leaps into the water as my tusks shimmer, the thunder striking the stone too slowly.

I shift again to find it, but it is so small.

The water moves as I do, the waves pushing and pulling against my legs, and the tiny creature is lost to me.

Perhaps it drowned.

I shift once more, and I feel it.

I shake from side to side, water crashing up and spraying into the sky.

And it refuses to relent.

I shake again, but still it remains.

I long to submerge, but—

A sharp pain at the crown of my head, and I turn.

Does it—

It's hiding again!

I crouch low and rear up, my hooves thudding against the thick pale stone.

I crane my neck again.

Perhaps it—

No!

Stop!

Pain!

Piercing pain!

Blessed silence fills my head.

Sharp pain refuses to dull.

Want to leave.

Too large.

Too cumbersome.

Hurts too much.

Feel heavy.

Sinking.

Cannot escape.

I—


	13. Phalanx

There is something here.

Why?

Why is it here?

What does it want?

Sand falls like water.

Hot and arid.

Aim for the vast clear blue above.

Wind.

Light.

So bright.

Blinding.

Hurts.

Pain.

Punctured.

Heavy.

The ground.

So close.

Too close.

Cuts through sand.

Why?

Why here?

It's—

Hurts!

Unbearable!

Crying!

Dive below.

Burst above.

Persists.

Chases.

Again and again.

No end.

Excruciating.

I want it to stop!

Why?

I don't want to die.

I don't want to die.

I don't want to die.

I don't want to—


	14. Cenobia

My vision blurs.

I smell something!

Destroy!

Must destroy it!

Invaders!

Stone trembles!

Charge!

Crush!

Smash!

Blinded!

Howling!

Kill!

Shatter stone!

Knock it down!

Break it!

My home!

Mine!

Leave!

Tiny creature!

Chase!

Smash!

Break!

There!

Above!

Fall!

…trickery!

It tricks me!

To destroy my home!

I will knock it down!

I will destroy—!

No!

Crumbling stone!

Fallen!

Broken!

Exposed!

Thrash!

Pain!

Smash!

Breaking!

Vision fades.

Pain dulls.

Sleep takes.

There—


	15. Argus

There are echoes in my silent city.

Something has come, but for what purpose, I cannot say.

I pull myself up, and I see it.

It is so… tiny.

It is either very brave, or very stupid.

…not the former, then, as it's fleeing as fast as it can.

My cleaver is light as I swing.

It stumbles, but remains undamaged.

Flee, tiny thing!

You cannot outrun me.

I raise a hoof, and let it fall.

Stone is dislodged, and the tiny thing climbs higher.

It's almost amusing to watch.

It flickers between pillars.

My grip tightens.

Stone crashes down.

And higher still it climbs.

A small splinter sticks in my shoulder.

Its persistence could be considered almost admirable.

Almost.

Another splinter.

Higher.

High above.

I smell weakness!

The footbridge shatters under my strength, and the tiny thing flees to one side.

My eyes follow it.

What—

It's leapt!

Madness has taken it!

The ground trembles.

Searing!

Burning pain!

My vision goes black.

I thrash.

And still it holds.

It's—

It's disarmed me!

Cowardly creature!

It is not satisfied with my temporary sightlessness!

Now it must disgrace me!

The blackness is nearly gone.

And I see it.

It's returned to the ground.

It screams like a madman as it charges.

_Vile, unclean monster!_

_You—_


	16. Malus

I am awake.

I should not be awake.

Something has awoken me.

Something inferior.

I see it.

My hand outstretches.

Power erupts.

Stone shatters and dust flies.

And it is gone.

Not dead… yet.

Gone for now.

Hiding.

I hear it.

Another blast.

Passageways collapse.

I sense it.

Cowering.

Hiding in shadows.

My fingers flex.

Stone explodes.

A twitch.

Crumbling.

I cannot see it.

_I feel it._

Sharp to my back.

I reach.

It clings to my hand.

A single flick, and I could be rid of it.

But it would endure.

It would scale me again to—

Steel.

I reach to crush.

And it clings to the fur.

It stands defiantly atop my hand.

Such a creature to be able to—

A splinter to my shoulder.

I realize my error too late.

The sound of scuffing.

Rustling.

A spike.

Excruciating.

I feel—

Horror.

Horror is what I feel.

My last moment, and I am horrified.

_I was the last._

_We have failed._


	17. Dormin

We are free!

After countless, nearly powerless millennia, We are free again!

But We are hindered greatly!

The tiny beings flee from Us.

Our fist comes down, crushing one beneath it.

Pinpricks cannot hurt Us, tiny things!

Our fist comes down again, the stone cracking.

Your lives are lost to Us!

Our prison will crumble!

We will return!

They stumble over their ceremonial wear.

We almost laugh at the sight.

They were not prepared for Us to be freed!

…but now We see that they have the Ancient Sword!

We drag ourselves after them.

We are strangely slow compared to them.

But We will catch them!

They will not escape!

We snatch one, and smash it into the stone.

Our claws scrape against the floor of Our prison.

How dare they?!

How dare they inflict this upon Us?!

We will crush them for their insolence!

We will tear them apart!

They escape up the winding stair.

We cannot catch them.

We cannot stop them.

A distant word of power.

A bright light fills Our vision.

Winds!

The winds pull at Us!

They mean to seal Us again!

No!

We feel weaker!

We _are_ weaker!

Smaller!

Our essence is leaving, being pulled into the pool!

Our remaining strength will flood your fingers, warrior!

Hold to the stone as if your life depended upon it!

We will not be sealed so easily!

And yet…

Why do you force Us out?

Why does your strength wane?

Why do you let go?

You have doomed Us, warrior!

But you have fulfilled your end!

And with our last breadth of power, We shall fulfill Ours!


	18. Mono

What has happened?

Where am I?

It's so bright here.

What is this place?

It's not familiar.

I can't remember.

There's a void as vast as the sky inside my head.

Why can't I remember?

I inhale deeply, and push myself up.

My arms tremble.

I feel so weak.

…a temple?

Rubble litters the floor, but what else could it be?

…was I on an altar?

Why?

For what reason?

So many questions!

My bare feet touch the stone.

It feels cold.

So cold!

What happened here?

Broken stone and dust!

A noise!

Slow and ponderous.

A horse.

My feet move by themselves, and I reach for it.

It seems… happy.

I think.

I don't really know why.

It limps past me.

And I follow.

I pass beneath an archway, and I hear something.

…crying?

A child.

In the center of this empty basin.

My knees touch the cold earth, and the child feels light in my arms.

A gentle noise behind me.

The horse is leaving.

My eyes search for something that is not there as I hold the child, following the horse upwards.

Where is the wanderer?

I wish he were here.

But I'm not completely sure why.

There's a void as vast as the sky inside my head.

But if I close my eyes, I see him there.

He was always so kind to me.

Why can I remember him?

When I can't remember anything else?


End file.
